End closure and latching mechanism therefor for suction cleaners



Aug. 5, 1952 L. E. SEGESMAN END CLOSURE AND LATCHING MECHANISM THEREFOR FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Oct. 50. 1946 IN V EN TOR.

Louis E. Seyesman A TTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 END CLOSURE AND LATCHING MECHANISM THEREFOR FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Louis E. Segesman, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 30, 1946, Serial No. 706,619

6 Glaims. (Cl. 22055) This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a closure end cap for a tank type cleaner and clamping means for detachably securing the end cap to the casing of the cleaner.

According to this invention, a closure plate is provided for a casing of the tank type cleaner having a carrying handle by which the cleaner may be upended or transported from place to place. Mounted on the handle thus formed is a manually actuatable latch actuator which is normally held in latched position by the operators hand when the cleaner is being moved about by the carrying handle. While the latch actuator is positioned to be held in locked position when the cleaner is being handled it is readily accessible for releasing movement when the cleaner is supported in operative position or when it is supported on its end in storage position.

According to another feature of this invention a clamping mechanism is provided by which the suction end cap may be readily removed for cleaning or replacing a filter positioned in the cleaner casing. According to this invention the clamping mechanism comprises a hook carried by the upper side of the end cap engageable in a socket in the cleaner casing. At the lower side of the end cap an over-center clamp is provided. The clamping member as such is mounted for both reciprocating and swinging movement for engagement with a resilient hook in the lower side of the suction cleaner casing. The clamping member is pivoted to a latch actuator at a point spaced from the pivot point of the actuator and guiding means is provided whereby upon actuation of the actuator the clamp is first reciprocated to remove the hooked end of the clamping member from the resilient hook on the end cap and then moved in a swinging movement whereby its hooked end will clear the resilient hook as the end cap is moved about its upper hook in removing it from the cleaner casing.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows the general outline of a suction cleaner to which this invention is applied;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the end cap of this invention attached-to the cleaner of Fig. 1 taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a front plan view of the suction end cap of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1 the tank type cleaner to which this invention is applied comprises a casing l6 mounted for ambulatory movement on runners II. The casing I 6 is provided with a suction end cap l2 having a suction opening 13 for detachably receiving one end of a cleaning tool hose l6 and a blower end cap I! having a similar opening l8 also for detachable connection with the hose [6. A switch 30 for controlling the energization of the motor of the cleaner and a carrying handle 32 is mounted on top of the casing I6.

Referring to Fig. 2, a supporting ring 34 is suitably secured to the front end of casing 16 and supports a filter bag in any suitable manner such as by a flanged bag supporting ring 36, which may be secured to the casing It! in any suitable manner. Immediately below an opening 83 in the ring 36 is a clamping plate 43 secured to the ring 34 in any suitabl manner.

A clamping hook l6, suitablysecured to the inner plate 46 of 'the end cap i2, is inserted through the opening 83 so as to engage behind a plate 43 and forms the means for clamping the upper edge of the end plate l2 to the casing l6.

' An appearance covering of phenolic condensation product is secured to the outer face of the plate 46 in any suitable manner. The appearance covering comprises a flange of the same peripheral shape and size at the plate 46, an upwardly extending portion 49 and an upper protuberance 5| in which is formed the suction opening I3. A carrying handle 53 is suitably secured to the forwardly extending protuberance 5| at its upper end by means of a reinforcing plate 54 and to the vertically extending portion 49 at its lower end by a bolt 6|.

At its lower side beneath the filter the supporting ring 36 is apertured at and a U-shaped member 84 is suitably secured thereto to form a recess for receiving a resilient hook 86, suitably secured thereto and having its hooked end extending above the lower edge of the opening 85.

The hook 8B cooperates with the hooked end 68 of a clamping member 89 which extends through an opening 61 in the plate 46 and through an opening in a guide bracket 66 secured to the vertically extending portion 49 of the appearance covering by means 01' the bolt 6|.

The clamping member 89 is provided with upwardly extending lugs at the end opposite the hook 68 by which it is pivoted at 65 to a latch release member I5 normally lying in a recess 58 in the carrying handle 53. The latch release lever I5 is pivoted to the carrying handle 53 at 59 inwardly of the pivot point 65 so as to form an over-center toggle between the clamping lever 69 and the latch release lever I5. A spring detent 62 engages the pivot pin 65 to hold the latch release lever in latching position against accidental movement therefrom. The latch release lever I5 is provided with a treadle 69 extending slightly beyond the carrying handle 53 whereby it can be engaged by the hand or foot of the operator and moved to releasing position.

Operation When it is desired to attach the end cap l2 to the casing II] the hook I is inserted through the opening 83 so as to lie behind the plate 43. The end cap I 2 is then moved clockwise about the hook III so as to enter the hooked end 68 of clamp 89 through the opening 85 into the recess formed by the plate 84.

In the above operation, the latch release lever I5 is in its downward position with the clamp lever 89 resting in the guide 66 so that it will enter the opening 85 above theupturned end of hook- 86. The latch release lever I5 is then pivoted upwardly into the recess 58 whereby the hook 68 of the clamp lever 89 will swing downwardly to engage the resilient end of the hook 86 and draw the end cap I2 firmly against the easing I0. The over-center arrangement of the pivot points 59 and 65 and the resiliency of the member 86 will cause the latch release lever I5 to snap into the recess 58 of the handle 53. At thersame time the pivot pin '65 will move upwardly behind the spring detent 62. to render it certain that the latch actuator I5 will remain in the position shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to remove the end cap I2 from the casing IIIthe operator presses downwardly on the pad 69 either with his foot or his hand to pivot the latch actuator I5" clockwise about its pivot point 59. This will cause the pivot pin. 65 to: move downwardly past the. spring detent 62 and past its deadeoenter position where itis in linewith the pivot .pin 59 whereby. the latch link .89 will be. reciprocated to theleft as shown inFig; 2, so as to remove its hookedend 68 from the resilient hook of member 86. Continued pivotal movement of the latch actuator I5 will cause the right hand end of the clamplink 89 to move downwardly and pivot it about the guide 66 so that its hooked end will be movedupwardly and rearwardly above and to therear of the hooked end of the resilient member 86. With the parts in the position just described the handle 53 may be grasped and the end cap I2 pivoted counter-clockwise about the hook I0.

While I have shown but a single embodiment of. my invention it is to be understood that this embodiment isrto be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish tovbe limited to the particular structure shown-and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

What is-claimed is:'

1. In a suction cleaner, an open, ended casing, an endclosure therefor, a latch; carried by said closure. and; engag'eable; withemeansron the. open end:.of; saidlcasingi forattachlng :said :closure;v to

said casing, a carrying handle extending transversely of said closure, a recess in said handle said recess extending longitudinally of said handle from one end thereof and a latch actuator pivoted to said closure at said end and positioned in said recess when said latch is in latching position and'being movable out of said recess when moved to latch releasing position, said latch actuator being held in said recess by the hand of the user when the carrying handle is grasped.

2. In a suction cleaner, an open ended casing, an end closure therefor, said casing having a socket in one side thereof and a shouldered recess in its opposite side both adjacent its open end, a hook on one side of said closure for engagement in said socket, a latch mounted for reciprocatory and swinging movement on the opposite side of said closure, said latch having a hooked end for engagement behind the shoulder of said recess, alatch actuator pivoted to said closure on a transverse axis and being pivoted to the outer end of said latch on a transverse axis spaced outwardly from its own pivotal axis and a fulcrum between the ends of said latch whereby outward swinging movement of said actuator is operative toswing the hooked end on said latch behind the shoulder ofsaid recess and then to reciprocate said latch to draw said closure tightly against the open end of said casing as said actuator is pivoted toward said closure.

3. In a suction cleaner according to claim 2 in which said socket is open to the side wall of said casing and said recess opens toward the open end of said casing whereby said closure may be applied to said casing by entering said hook sidewise into said socket and pivoting said closure about said hook to move the hooked end of said latch into said recess.

4. In a suction-cleaner according to claim 2 in whichsaid fulcrum is a guide on said closure for guiding said latch in its movement whereby swinging movement of said actuator will first swing said latch about said guide as a pivot to move the hooked end of said latch behind the shoulder in said recess and thereafter reciprocate said latch in said guide to draw said closure tightly against the endof said casing.

5.In a suction cleaner, an open ended casing normally positioned in a horizontal position, an end closure therefor, said casing having a vertically extending socket opening to the upper side ofsaidcasing adjacent its open end and a recess opening toward its open end at the lower side of said casing, a resilient hook member in. the lower side of said recess, said closure havinga downwardly projecting hook on its upper side for lateral insertion into said socket and a latch mounted on the lower side of said closure for. forward insertion into said recess whereby said closure may be applied by swinging it downwardly about said hook as arpivot to enter said latch intosaid-recess, a latch actuator pivoted to said closure for upward pivotal movement, said latch extending through said closure and having a hooked inner'end for engagement with said resilientihookedmember, the outer end of said latch being pivoted tosaid actuator at a point beyondthe pivot point of said actuator and a guide on said closure having an opening toloosely receive said latch near its hooked end whereby upward pivotal movement of said actuator will first cause said latch to pivot on said guide and swingiitshookedend behind said resilient hooked member and: thereafter reciprocate said latch in said guideto. draw; said closuretightly against the end;of.:said;caslnsi 6. In a suction cleaner according to claim 5 including a carrying handle extending upwardly across said closure and positioned so that said actuator will rest against it when said actuator is in its upward pivoted position so as to be grasped by the users hand as said handle is grasped.

LOUIS E. SEGESMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Anderson Sept. 11, 1906 Winans Nov. 8, 1910 Wiedeman Nov. 19, 1912 Tave Mar. 30, 1920 Hoover Dec. 2, 1930 Parks ....1 Nov. 9, 1937 Lofgren May 13, 1941 Hansson June 23, 1942 Gardes Aug. 31, 1943 Stevens Nov. 23, 1943 Lofgren May 2, 1944 

